Bob DeBesse brings 25 years of coaching experience at the NCAA Division I level to Sam Houston.

In his first season, the Kats led the Southland Conference in rushing offense and had three players earn all-league honors. Running back Tim Flanders was named as the Southland's "Newcomer-of-the-Year."

DeBesse served as head coach at Southwest Texas State from 1997 to 2002 and was an assistant at Texas A&M, Purdue, Minnesota and TCU. He was secondary coach at A&M Consolidated High School in 2008 and 2009.

As wide receiver coach, DeBesse helped direct Texas A&M squads to the 2006 Holiday Bowl and the 2007 Alamo Bowl. At Purdue he tutored two receivers who signed with NFL teams. Purdue played in the 2003 Capital One Bowl and the 2004 Sun Bowl.

In 2000, DeBesse's Southwest Texas Bobcats rolled up the school's best record in a decade (7-4) and earned a No. 25 national ranking. He was offensive coordinator at Minnesota from 1992 to 1996 where the Golden Gophers led the Big Ten in passing. From 1983 to 1991, DeBesse was an assistant coach at TCU. He was offensive coordinator the last two seasons, earning Southwest Conference Offensive Coordinator of the Year honors in 1990.

DeBesse was a three-year letterman at Southwest Texas from 1978 to 1980. He was special teams captain a Texas All-Academic team selection as a senior. His final two seasons came under head coach Jim Wacker, beginning a partnership that lasted nearly two decades from Southwest Texas to TCU to Minnesota. DeBesse spent two years as a student assistant for SWT teams that won NCAA Division II national championships in 1981 and 1982. He was elected to the Southwest Texas State Hall of Honor in 1998.

Growing up in Texas, Debesse earned a bachelor's degree in education from Southwest Texas in 1982. He and his wife, Janet, a former Southwest Texas gymnast and cheerleader, have three children: Brittney, Kaila and Cameron.

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